Eurogamer's Game of the Year 2010

By Eurogamer staff Published 31 December, 2010

Do you ever miss those talks we had on the elevators?

It's just over 11 years since we flipped the switch on Eurogamer and started pumping our thoughts about games out into the world, and this will be the seventh game of the year we've named in that time. Despite a few leftfield choices along the way though (Psychonauts in 2005 is still my favourite), we've never crowned an RPG - until today.

It's tempting to say that RPGs have simply emerged from their spotty adolescence, and that the widespread success of Mass Effect 2 and the clamour for information about its upcoming sequel are merely just rewards for a style of game that has become increasingly innovative and self-aware - to the extent that no other genre can now claim to be divorced from its influence.

But Mass Effect 2 also emerged into ideal conditions. It arrived in a world where some of the highest-grossing movies of the year would be about people hacking each other's dreams and the guy who invented Facebook, and where your girlfriend moans about X Factor spoilers on Twitter before devouring Lost with as much intensity as we used to mine Star Trek. Mass Effect 2 has done a lot to make RPGs work for the masses, but its arrival also coincided with a broader coming-of-age for geek culture in an interconnected world.

It wasn't to everyone's taste - and along with a few happy tributes from Eurogamer writers over the next couple of pages, we've included a couple of denouncements to set you on your way - but in the end it won our staff vote by a distance, leaving the likes of Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Red Dead Redemption for stardust. So congratulations to BioWare and Electronic Arts. Mass Effect 2 is Eurogamer's Game of the Year 2010.

(Oh, and in case you haven't played Mass Effect 2 yet, please note that spoilers lie ahead. And please note that you should play Mass Effect 2.)

"You are ignorant. We are knowing."

Christian Donlan has contributed to Eurogamer for nearly three years. In 2010 he reviewed God of War III and was one of the first people in the world to play with the Xbox 360 Slim. Meanwhile, his dad appeared on Bargain Hunt.

"I'm not much use here on Planet Earth, but it turns out I'm even more of a liability when I head into space," Christian writes. "On my first playthrough of Mass Effect 2, everybody died, and Joker was left to battle an alien invasion of mile-high matte black Witch Space hermit crabs, with nothing but a dozen Samsonite coffins to keep him company. At least he'd have something to take cover behind.

"Personal failings notwithstanding - and putting aside the fact that I'm still unable to emerge from a BioWare character creator with anything but a knitting catalogue model or reception supply teacher to show for all my hours spent screwing around with sliders - Mass Effect 2 was a wonderful way to pass a few frosty evenings back in January. Not only had President Bartlett come along for the ride while some of the annoyances of the first game's combat system had stayed at home, BioWare's sequel really delivered in terms of scope and incident when it came to bringing life to all that galactic real-estate.

"Whether it's raiding a futuristic skyscraper, picking through the rare shadowed spaces of a deadly sun-baked landing site, or exploring a spooky laboratory while thunder and lightning split the air outside, Mass Effect 2 offered genuinely interesting places to go, and entertaining things to do once there. It was everything I wanted from a sequel, more or less, and for the final instalment I'd be pretty happy to plod through more of the same - but with shorter loading times, if possible."

"You do not yet comprehend your place in things."

Robert Purchese is Eurogamer's senior staff writer. This month he spoke to everyone he could think of about how to stop World of Warcraft.

"Mass Effect 2? Oh yes, the one with the gratuitous ass shots and no same-sex relationships. Also, what happened to the mystery and the intrigue? Remember Knights of the Old Republic and the sense of surprise when you picked up a companion? You didn't start with Bastila Shan, Juhani or HK-47. Even in Mass Effect 1, you didn't know you were going to recruit Liara T'Soni while exploring that science facility, and Ashley Williams didn't begin the adventure as your companion.

"Mass Effect 2, in contrast, fits you with a blank cheque and then systematically orders you to corners of the universe to pick up specific people for your mission. Where's the surprise in that? I know I'm going to pick up Project Zero, chat with them, do a loyalty mission and maybe sleep with them. I didn't realise I'd end up smooching Bastila Shan, but in Mass Effect 2 everyone's a possible sex target. It's too transparent.

"And what of your companions' powers? Project Zero is billed as the Death Star personified, but instead becomes restricted by the same character template as everyone else. Why can't there be inaccessible, unique powers? Even more so than Mordin, even more so than Grunt.

"And yet Mass Effect 2 is my game of the year, because none of that really mattered. It didn't bother me that I knew what lay ahead when I recruited people, because I knew I'd have fun doing it. The universe is incredible, and I'm considering going back when the PS3 conversion materialises. Would I have enjoyed it more if the things I've just moaned about were done differently? Perhaps. Did I enjoy Mass Effect 2 regardless? More than enough."

"Shepard, you could have been useful."

Kristan Reed is a former editor of Eurogamer. This year he reviewed over 300 mobile and download games and still found time to give the wonderful Pac-Man Championship Edition DX a worthy 10/10.

"Having spent an entire week replaying the original Mass Effect (thanks, save-game eater), completing every mission, every god-damned Mako mission, every side quest, and both DLC packs, I fully expected Mass Effect 2 to be something akin to gaming's second coming. What could possibly go wrong? They'd sorted out the combat, got rid of the stupid Mako missions, streamlined the structure, removed the confused wandering and even taken out the annoying lifts.

"For me though, somewhere along the line BioWare removed a chunk of the game's soul. I'd grown to love the overheating weapon system. I liked the intricacy of the locations. I liked having a real choice over my party's weapon loadout.

"Somehow this didn't feel like Mass Effect anymore, but something closer to a linear corridor shooter. To compound matters, the vast majority of the missions felt run of the mill. There was the odd notable exception, but for much of the time this was wholly forgettable stop-and-pop fodder. I certainly feel like I enjoyed it while I was playing it, but I have very little recollection of what actually happened in most of it.

"And who thought that the new planet mining system was a good idea? Goodness knows how many hours of my life were lost to that. And for what? To make sure none of my party died at the end of the game? Well, job done, I guess, but by the end of my 40 hours with the game, it felt like two steps forward, two steps back. While the best bits of Mass Effect 2 were easily among the most entertaining moments of the year, it felt like one of those sprawling double concept albums from the 1970s that only makes sense when you're high."

They're coming.

"We are the harbinger of your perfection."

Dan Whitehead has written for Eurogamer for nearly five years and contributed over 350 reviews in that time. This year he rolled the dice on Fallout: New Vegas and took Disney Epic Mickey among many others.

"I really wish I could play Mass Effect 2 again, but I can't. Not for any practical reason but because Shepard - my Shepard - has already had that adventure, and it just feels wrong to rewind and do it over again. I have friends who have played it through multiple times, and have created a brand new Shepard every time. I can't do that. My Shepard is canon, my decisions are his, and they're now written in stone. I know it's weird and doesn't make much sense, but that's how much I loved BioWare's peerless world-building. There's only one Shepard, he's the same guy I played through the first game with, and he'll be the guy I'll control through Mass Effect 3 next year.

"Of course, it's worth setting aside a big slice of praise pie for the way BioWare overhauled the rather creaky original game, streamlined it and built up its gameplay muscle without ever quite letting go of the RPG thread at its heart. But for me it's the characters that drew me in, and the world they inhabit. That's why I was so thrilled by the good DLC, like Lair of the Shadow Broker, and so disappointed by the weaker stuff. It's a chance to slip back into that universe for a few more hours before putting Shepard back in stasis until the next game.

"So while I'm very conscious of the fact that I'm denying myself the chance to revisit one of the best games of this generation, I kind of like the fact that there's a game that I'm so emotionally invested in that I'd rather abstain than risk diluting its narrative power."

"This body does not matter. The flesh is a machine."

Tom Bramwell has been editor of Eurogamer for three years. This year he reviewed Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Call of Duty: Black Ops and a few others - including Mass Effect 2.

"One of the privileges of editing the site and being the only guy stupid enough to do any work over the Christmas holiday is that I can give myself the last word on our game of the year. And one of the reasons it's delightful to see Mass Effect 2 come out on top is that despite having had the first word on it in our January review and another go-round with it earlier this week, it's a game that supports no end of dissection and tribute.

"Everyone applauds the resonance of Commander Shepard's decision-making, of course, which will eventually ripple out across three massive games, and the Mass Effect universe is generally celebrated for its wonderful depth and air of mystery. But another thing I particularly enjoy is the tangibility of Shepard's accomplishments amidst the dense nest of military and political machinations through which he has to manoeuvre his volatile crew.

"At times, Mass Effect 2 may be no less guilty of driving you along a conveyor belt of explosions and loud noises than Call of Duty: Black Ops - a game where the intrigue is literally shouted into your face from the first minute onward - but it is much better at disguising this illusion. When Shepard convinces somebody to do something, he just as often sells you on the decision in the process - thanks in no small part to the voice work of Shepard actors Mark Meer and Jennifer Hale, whose epic contributions stand out even in a cast that glitters almost as brightly as the stars twinkling outside the Normandy's portholes.

"Other RPGs have built us up from amnesia and sun-soaked castaways to defenders of the universe, and in this respect Mass Effect 2 can't exactly claim any special quality or inspirational breakthrough - but it's a testament to BioWare's superb craft that something so controlled and so deliberately polished can still feel so empowering from start to finish, and that shouldn't be overlooked.

"All that, and it still boasts the clunkiest flirting in all the galaxy. You can take the geek out of his robe and wizard's hat... And with Mass Effect 3 primed for next Christmas, can BioWare do the unthinkable and make it two games of the year in a row? We can't wait to find out."

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Comments (132) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • Branoic #1 1 year ago

    I totally agree with this. Awesome game, and was my GOTY straight away.

  • CaptainTrips #2 1 year ago

    not only is ME2 my game of the year, it might possibly be my favourite game of all time - certainly in the top three.

    Incidentally, my 2nd favourite game is Mario Galaxy 2. 2010 has been a pretty darn good year for gaming. :)

  • Genji #3 1 year ago

    It was a great improvement on the first game, in most ways that mattered.

    I've liked other games more this year, but I have no real problems with this verdict!

    Also, Garrus is fucking cool.

  • tjcrooke #4 1 year ago

    "I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite game of the year"

  • Deoden #5 1 year ago

    Warning. Warning. Awful pun in 3...2...1...

    Eurogamer: "We love Mass Effect 2. We think it's the best game of the year".

    Deoden: "Yep. ME 2".

    But before I get my coat, let me say this. No other game in 2010 mattered to me as much as this one did, and managing to bring my whole team back from the final mission was easily the highlight of my gaming year. I'm not normally a fan of acheivements, but when I saw "Against All Odds" flash up on screen, well... that's the kind of moment "Hell Yeah!" was invented for.
    Edited by Deoden at 31/12/10 @ 07:05

  • KDR_11k #6 1 year ago

    I got it from the Steam sale but didn't have enough time to really get into it yet.

  • legendmir #7 1 year ago

    am i the only one who doesnt like bioware rpgs?

  • mushroomyakuza #8 1 year ago

    Justifiably GOTY. well said EG.

  • coolbritannia #9 1 year ago

    Having just bought this for £12 new in the sales, I am feeling smug.

  • GitSomE_UK #10 1 year ago

    I started playing this a while ago and never got around to finishing it due to work and having way too many other releases that took my attention. Time to dig this out again and give it the attention it deserves over the next couple of days.

  • Deckard1 #11 1 year ago

    Had to be really. Up there with my favourites of all time.

  • CaptainQuint #12 1 year ago

    Not my game of the year by a long shot, in fact I was disappointed by it. But congrats to Bioware nonetheless.

  • Paperghost #13 1 year ago

    loved the game, but i hope they address the formula of "obvious collection of waist high boxes / metal things / suspicious rocky outcrops" that you could 100% guarantee meant a bunch of goons running into view and being immediately sliced to pieces by Shepard & co.

    i've gone back and replayed the first game a couple of times and the locations just seem a lot more organic and less like "here's a boxy shooter corridor bit", and now here's another one. imho they should also have scrapped the concept of team members dying. it makes the first runthrough very tense until you realise you'd have to be playing intentionally badly to lose more than one or two team mates, and as a result it probably scuppers any chance of seeing more than a brief cameo for the surviving squad, even though 99% of them probably survived in all runthroughs.

    kasumi should also have been in there from the start. brilliant character, refreshing in that she doesn't want to - yawn - jump all over Shepard, but her chances of being in the third game for more than ten seconds are unfortunately very slim indeed. ah well.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #14 1 year ago

    I have to re-read the review. I only played ME1 but stopped a few hours in. While the atmosphere and the dialogs were fantastic the combat really did not click with me at all. I didn't understand the leveling system, all the weapons pretty much did the same and it was rather dull. A shame because I really enjoyed everything else. Now I remember that ME2 ditched a lot of ME1's weaknesses but I'll have to check - there is a good chance, however, that I could enjoy ME2 a lot more than ME1.

  • gabrielbird #15 1 year ago

    And its only £4.98 in GAME at the moment.

    http://www.game.co.uk/Games/Xbox-360/Rol...

  • Dave52 #16 1 year ago

    "Mass Effect 2 is out now on Xbox 360 and PC."

    And PS3 in about 2 weeks.

  • TheElfishGene #17 1 year ago

    Is it april the 1st? this is a joke right? ME2 GOTY? are you people on some kind of crazy drugs? you picked a dumbed down linear sci fi yarn that could have been penned by a 12 year old as your GOTY!

    Sorry EG but your wrong, i used to thing you guys had some sense when it came to understanding gaming, this article not only shows your true colours but also your complete lack of knowledge in the field of computer games, that's enough for me i'm off to a website that has a clue.

    ME2 GOTY jesus christ!

  • jonsaan #18 1 year ago

    The PC version doesn't support the 360 controller. Which is balls really.

  • lucky_jim #19 1 year ago

    Best piece of space opera, in any medium, that I've experienced in years. Well-deserved GOTY.

  • anomagnus #20 1 year ago

    I agree with the sentiment, it IS the game of the year. But quite frankly, they just ripped on it for two pages solid. If they had that many problems with it, why is it their game of the year?

    How could you NOT replay the game over and over? To have ismply one shepard is a waste of the game. I had 6 different shepards, admittly two are primes, but the joy in ME2 was seeing how different decisions played out.

    As for this idea of the soul being ripped out, to me, this game really brought the soul of the ME universe to light. From the slums of Omega, to the trading floors of Illium, we saw the highs and lows of the universe. To see the migrant fleet was unreal. To see Wrex begin to repair the krogan homeworld validated my choices from ME1, that the Krogan, far from being a threat, could be a massive boon to Citadel space.

    For those that looked, the little descriptions for every plantery body had improved immeasurably. Virtually every place had a story. This game possessed soul in buckets.

    This isn't just my game of the year, its my game of all time. Every game after wards has felt hollow. I've had fun with with other games, of course, but the bar has been set.I don't see anything other than ME3 meeting that bar or exceeding it.

  • Murbal #21 1 year ago

    Bought on release, played about an hour over the course of the year. Always distracted by something else - shame on me. The 2010 GOTY run-ins on various sites have me so excited about finally finding the time for it, and I've promised myself I won't be distracted by other games this time.

    Perhaps I'll join in the excitement of the PS3 crowd getting in on the action?

  • BuddyChrist #22 1 year ago

    Lot of love for the game here.
    I thought it was better than the first, except I would have liked to see an improved buggy rather than that aimless mining crap, and a bigger variance of weapons.

    And that painfully scripted end mission...

    Not Goty for me.

  • coolbritannia #23 1 year ago

    And its only £4.98 in GAME at the moment.

    http://www.game.co.uk/Games/Xbox-360/Rol...

    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

  • MiY4MOTO #24 1 year ago

    Without question my GoTY by a country mile and 2010 has seen some great games.

    Well done BioWare. Bring on ME3!

    PS. BioWare, please don't try to 'streamline' the experience any more than you already have. To do so would just sully everything you've given us to date. (Lionhead I'm looking at you.)

  • Vanmunt #25 1 year ago

    can I borrow your rosey tinted specs.. great game, GOTY not on your nelly.

  • Bremenacht #26 1 year ago

    Nooooooooo!

  • RevanEleven #27 1 year ago

    Good choice. Def my game of the year, maybe decade.

  • siro #28 1 year ago

    ME 2? ME too.

    Previous comments said this was a great year for games, and I wholeheartedly agree, that this was the best year since the PlayStation got out. I played buttloads of personal 10s, of which Mass Effect 2 is one of them. I'm not sure if this is the best out of them, but it managed to make me OCD on planet scans, and that's something.

    My fav team was Project Zero, Krogan. Fun combo of cynical comments all along.

    I only ordered Mario Galaxy 2 yesterday though. I sense some real magic coming from that one.

    But seriously, we need more "ME too" puns.
    Edited by siro at 31/12/10 @ 15:49

  • metalangel #29 1 year ago

    Welcome to the game of the year. Please enter your Project Ten Dollar code. Can we interest you in some DLC that now costs more than the main game?

  • Ryuken #30 1 year ago

    "Despite a few leftfield choices along the way though (Psychonauts in 2005 is still my favourite), we've never crowned an RPG – until today."

    That probably says more about EG than about the RPG's of the last 11 years. :) Though in 2000 you didn't pick one choice but several, per platform, as it should be. I don't think limiting yourself to only ME2 this year is good for anything.

    As for ME2, I have yet to try it. ME1's UI and boring parts on PC aren't helping me to actually start with ME2. What a pity. :(

  • Whitster #31 1 year ago

    Just got back into ME2 thanks to the deal on the expansions on Live the other day. Really reminded me while it deserves this award.

    And I have to say, what with SGU and Caprica being cancelled ME3 is the only bit of sci-fi I'm really looking forward to next year.

  • Chalee #32 1 year ago

    I have two things to say.

    1) Mordin is awesome.

    2) 'Me too' puns suck balls.

    That is all.

  • butler` #33 1 year ago

    A very honest analysis from Kristan Reed as ever. Surprising to see it in your GOTY feature though.

    I too miss some of the imperfections of the original, especially those talks on the elevators.

  • SteveHolt #34 1 year ago

    @Dan Whitehead: just wanted to say you're not the only one. I did ME1 3 times (vet, hardcore, insane), and while I think ME2 is the better game, I simply can't replay this, I tried 2 times, but I just can't. This story has been told and that's about it. It's not my GOTY - I think Deadly Premonition is more deserving, and I'm quite fond of Fable 3 ATM, but it's a stellar game no doubt, even if it feels a bit cold at times.

    But, just like in ME1, the DLC is a massive disappointment IMO. I wanted more Krogan stuff, more Quarians and more Omega...

  • mazzl #35 1 year ago

    alos my game of the year,
    i am now on my third play, one paragon, one rouge, and this one is just to take some different choices to get some options set up for loading into me3 ... good stuff!

    i liked the superb voice acting, the kick ass shock wave biotic, keeping enemys suspended in mid air and picking them off with incinderary rounds.
    the dialog with mordin, the cool views of the citys and builings from pathways overlooking omega
    and much more.

    hope me3 has planet exploring, less team building, more story and a child from Miranda and Shepard for ME4 ;)

  • Eraysor #36 1 year ago

    Excellent choice. Beats RDR into a fairly close second.

  • 43n1m4 #37 1 year ago

    Best game in years. I felt exactly like Dan about the characters (and the notion not to spoil the story), but as I have another ME1 character I started playing the game again. Second time around - with all the DLC - and the game feels even better than the first impressive playthrough. I must confess that the universe in the ME series feels strangely compelling, but what really makes this game shine so much brighter than anything else this year, is the attention to the characters and the storytelling. The art direction and technical prowess (especially compared to the first game) is just icing on the cake.
    In short, I agree wholeheartedly with EG on this GOTY decision - there has been a lot of great games this year, but ME2 had an emotional impact on me, and that's more than I can say for most games. Happy new year!
    Edited by 43n1m4 at 31/12/10 @ 09:37

  • MadCaddy13 #38 1 year ago

    HEAR HEAR!

  • UncleLou #39 1 year ago

    Not my personal GOTY, but a good choice, anyway. :)

    Some of the party member side missions have amongst the best voice-acting and some of the best writing (and certainly the best of Bioware) I've seen in gaming.

  • geoneo123 #40 1 year ago

    Mass Effect 2 is £4.98 in Game!

    Picked it up yesterday after work

    Bargain of the year I think

  • witchdrash #41 1 year ago

    Was very fond of ME 2, really did enjoy the story, preferred ME 1 for it's what the hell is going on element, but was more than a worthy successor and looking forward to 3.

    Looking at the games I particularly enjoyed this year ME2 and Fable 3 stand out, but this is far more because a lot of everything else was utter rubbish, rather than these two being head and shoulders above everything else.

  • beastmaster #42 1 year ago

    This is a fantastic game. Didn't make my top 5 though.

    Also, did I miss something or has there been no mention of Bayonetta in their games of 2010? Never mind. That's a great game too.

  • AphoticCosmos #43 1 year ago

    Agreed with the choice of ME2, it is a fabulous game.

    But I also agree that some of the soul of ME1 is gone, and that some things that should not have been removed (like the inventory system, the Mako - refined, sure, but not removed)

    Combine the inventory and exploration of ME1 with the kinetic fury and production values of ME2 and you have a solid candidate for the best game of all time.

  • nickthegun #44 1 year ago

    As good as ME2 is, its not an RPG anymore.

    And, yeah, I agree somewhat with Kristan. Getting rid of the ammo and armour system was a mis-step. Its kind of like the massive dumbing down bioware did bewtween KOTOR and Jade Empire, except ME2 got away with it because the core game was still brilliant.

  • septimus #45 1 year ago

    Indeed GOTY. Knew that in January!

  • GamesConnoisseur #46 1 year ago

    Some people honestly disliked ME2 for whatever reasons, and sure that is something that they are disappointed that the other games didnt get GOTY.

    Personally, me, myself and I, considered ME2 to be really good game, complete package and well deserving of the GOTY acclaims NOT just from EG but also from other repuatable places.

    Linear?! You must be referring to FFXIII and ME2 was much more of polar opposite with two major stiory hubs with which you can take missions in any order. Its never meant to be open world as in Fallout or GTA, but would not be suprised if that would occur in future.

    As the universe setting is simply rich with the potentials for thousands exciting stories, characters and game genres.

  • 5lectro #47 1 year ago

    I liked previous years' list system better. As in I actually read it. :(

  • Scimarad #48 1 year ago

    Yay! I'd probably agree with this (having just finished off Shadow Broker finally) but I suspect a few WTFs in the comments.

  • uknortherner2000 #49 1 year ago

    Played the demo on PC and sadly it came across as yet another generic FPS rather than an RPG. It was a polished experience, but you'd expect it to be really. At least you didn't have NPCs killing immersion by flogging overpriced DLC unlike BioWare's other RPG.

    If I were to name my own GOTY, then that honour would go to Minecraft. Simple, yet addictive and a welcome breath of fresh air in a sea of recycled mediocrity.

  • The-Bodybuilder #50 1 year ago

    To compound matters, the vast majority of the missions felt run of the mill.
    Utter bull. I've never agreed with Kristan's views, and this is another example. The missions in ME2 are far, FAR more varied and interesting than in ME1 (The beacon that had the dragon flying in the fog, jacob's dad, the empty ship, the liar of the shadow broker, e.t.c.) So much better. Always so negative, he is.

    And I fully agree with Dan. I cannot play any ME game more than once for the exact reason. I don't get how people play ME to be "good" or "bad". I make the decision I want to make, and live with the consequences.
    Miranda died in mine, and I didn't want that to happen (didn't even get to shag her). And even though I so badly wanted to change it, I've chosen to live with the consequences, which just adds that greater emotional connection with the game. My decisions actually carry weight.

  • munki83 #51 1 year ago

    I'd love to say that Mass Effect 2 is my GOTY, infact I'm doing a marathon run on the pc playing through the 1st game then onto the 2nd. I do love the game I love what Bioware have done with the RPG genre. Unfortunately Deadly Premonition came along and stole my heart.

    Sorry MAss Effect 2 I know its a betrayl but you have lots of people who love you

  • SG #52 1 year ago

    djronz
    31/12/10 @ 07:29
    ! the ps3 demo put me right off this game, really did nt have the polish that i expect of a goty. I'll be buying dead space 2 for my space related gaming in jan !

    PS_2010
    31/12/10 @ 07:48
    Until today I'd never heard of Mass Effect.

    legendmir
    31/12/10 @ 07:51
    am i only one who doesnt like bioware rpgs?

    Why are these posters getting negged for their comments? They are not saying the game is shit, just that it doesn't appeal to them - surely there's no problem with that? And one of them hasn't heard if it. OH MY GOD, WHAT A FUCKING DISGRACE! Perhaps he doesn't follow the market for this kind of thing? Maybe he doesn't have a machine that it's out on? Or if he's never heard of it, maybe he just hasn't hear of it - he is not saying that it's rubbish or the developers are lazy. It's laughable that someone would get negged for that!

  • pualhorse #53 1 year ago

    Well it got into my top 5 games of the year.

    However, due to poor finances and health, I only played 4 new games this year.

  • Scimarad #54 1 year ago

    Yeah, I love ME2 and thought it was a big improvement on the first game. I actually prefer the customising armour in ME2 compared to the inventory system in the first but I think this is mostly due to how utterly monotonous the loot was in the first game. Also agree on the thing about there only being one Shepard for me - I've actually tried to play through as someone else but I never generally get very far.

    I'm not really getting the thing about the missions being run of the mill. I thought everything seemed far more unique and interesting compared to what we got in ME1, though that was decent at the time. If there's one I hope they do for ME3 it's include the Hammerhead for some vehicular exploration, though more fleshed out than what we got in the DLC. And FFS add some armour to it as the 'prototype' explodes if you so much as look at it! And what's with the scanning thing? It doesn't need to be turned into a mini-game...

    Anyway, ME2 was awesome!

    - Apologies if this is a double post. If my first one went through I can't read it! -

    @ SG

    The comment rating thing has always been a bit crap - People just neg comments if they said negative things about a game they like or vice versa. Sometimes you read posts and see a -1 next to and think "What the hell did someone take offence at there???"

    Personally I suspect the "I've never heard of it" guy might just have been trolling...
    Edited by Scimarad at 31/12/10 @ 11:23

  • Svalbaard #55 1 year ago

    So, to get to Mass Effect 3 and Uncharted 3, that means somehow next year I need to finish...

    1. Uncharted.
    2. Uncharted 2.
    3. Battlefield 2.
    4. Deus Ex 3.
    5. Mass Effect 2.

    Yikes.



  • evild_edd #56 1 year ago

    Good choice. This thoroughly deserved the award and I put this as my choice for GOTY. Like all titles, it ha its foibles, and is not 'perfection' but the high production values, engaging story and characters, and mug improved shooter mechanics one of the most enjoyable and rounded games of this generation :0)

  • E2M #57 1 year ago

    Definitely ME2 game of the year, I cant believe it never one goty at the spike VGA's. Its a game in its own level, God of war 3 and so was undoubtedly RDR but theirs something about that game that sets it apart from other incredible games

  • Hindle #58 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 23:04:43 04-04-2012

  • jonno394 #59 1 year ago

    Due to not owning an xbox 360 thus not playing Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption is undoubtedly my Game of The Year. However, having played the PS3 demo forthis I can already see the quality that this game exudes and I am looking forward to picking it up next month for my first play through.

    Little Big Planet 2 and Mass Effect 2 both on the same day. I don't know how I will cope!!!

  • feistycheese #60 1 year ago

    Definetely has all the credentials for GOTY, though in my own humble and irrelevant opinion, its not been that great a year for games, even the best stuff was a bit 'MEH', especially considering last years offerings of Arkham Asylum, UC2 and Demons Souls. ME2 really didn't have that much competition this year.

    Personally though, i'd put AC:Brotherhood at the top of the pile, cant get enough of that game, though perhaps it came out to late in the year to be seriously considered for GOTY.

  • menage #61 1 year ago

    GOTY for me as well

    And I love how huge flaws from the original are sorely missed when they actually fix them, gamers are really never satisfied. I'm glad they got rid of the worst inventory system ever and the stupid Mako missions (replayablity kliller). And I can really do without shooting someone in the face and having a miss because the dice said so.

    Yeah the customization was a bit lacking, but if that's the price to pay for such huge steps on other fronts I'm there for 3.

    Edited by menage at 31/12/10 @ 11:52

  • Badassbab #62 1 year ago

    I agree with Kristen Reed. I felt ME2 had lost it's RPG touch and became too linear. Also they have to make collecting resources a lot more varied and enjoyable. Like it shouldn't be a chore doing the same thing, rather it should be a lot of mini side missions or a few large side missions.

  • Ravenger #63 1 year ago

    The first playthrough was amazing. The second I just can't complete because the mission structure and combat mechanics become too obvious. The 'room full of waist high boxes' becomes a mechanical spoiler, signalling that you're entering combat again.

    The first game feels much more epic, and the reveals are much more astonishing and dramatic. The environments are bigger, the plot missions longer. The second game spends far too much time putting a huge team together, visiting planets which are represented by four or five rooms with corridors between.

    As was said in the article the 'improvements' and excessive streamlining have removed a large part of the original's soul.

    Still enjoyed the first playthrough though.

  • Utopolitan #64 1 year ago

    Storyline and mision structure too predictable. Levelling and inventory systems propably too simplistic. Overall a bit too streamlined.

    And still it's the most prodigious game of the year.

  • trip919 #65 1 year ago

    While I do truly think the crown belongs to Super Mario Galaxy 2, I can't say it bothers me either way, (it never does). I enjoyed Mass Effect 2 tremendously despite being cut to ribbons. I could be very critical of it in many respects but ultimately it was fun… no.. that’s an understatement, it was immensely fun. Can’t say I’d like to see every Bioware RPG to follow suit but it worked this time.

  • photoboy #66 1 year ago

    This is why I love Eurogamer, their opinion and mine overlaps a lot these days so i can always rely on an EG review to point me in the right direction. I've lost count of the number of times I've replayed ME2 this year, I had a strong feeling it would be my favourite game this year and even now in December I still love replaying it.

    Mass Effect 3 has an almost impossible task of topping ME2, I can't wait to see how it turns out...

  • Murton #67 1 year ago

    Not sure about this one. While I don't doubt that Mass Effect 2 does what it does better than anything else out there - I haven't played it myself - I'm not sure if I'd give it GOTY.

    As I said, I haven't played it so I'm not 100% on this but I did play Mass Effect 1 and found it a little too diluted, a little too dumbed down to really flick my switch as an RPG and I'd expect Mass Effect 2 (no matter how good it) is to disappoint in the same way. If Bioware had kept a proper dialogue system where I got to choose exactly what I'm going to say rather than convey a mood or discuss a specific subject then I'd have gotten away with it as that was my biggest gripe really, I could look beyond the piss poor skills system if the dialogue sequences weren't so fundamentally damaging to the RP side of the game.

    I'm not quite sure what I would pick as GOTY, to be honest I've always found the idea of a GOTY to be a bit daft, GOTY for a specific genre fair enough, but how would you go about comparing two vastly different games to decide a winner. To use the example above Minecraft, what exactly makes Mass Effect 2 better than Minecraft when the two games have literally nothing in common?

  • finexi #68 1 year ago

    Good game, but greatly overrated.

  • JahB #69 1 year ago

    Undeserved. The craftsmanship is ace, but the gameplay was substandard. There were a number of better games this year, and simply picking it because EG never picked an RPG before is quite arbitrary.

  • carlosdfn #70 1 year ago

    Unfortunately I only started playing it last week so I didn't vote for it but now I can say without a shadow of doubt that along with demon's souls this is definitely one of the best games of the year, hell, it's one of the best games of this gen. Words can't describe the experience, you really have to play it, exploring the galaxy while meating all these fascinating characters is one of the best experiences videogames can provide.

  • psychokitten #71 1 year ago

    Yaaay :)
    Still really love this game.

  • UKLL #72 1 year ago


    Easily my game of the year.

    I'm still pissed at the ending I got :(

  • Dogs-in-Hats #73 1 year ago

    I agree

  • Tomo #74 1 year ago

    ??!!

    Has the entire internet just jumped the shark here, or was I playing an entirely different Mass Effect 2?

    Somehow they managed to make it worse than the first one and by stripping away most of the RPG elements essentially turned it into even more of a rinse-and-repeat shooter. It had it's moments, but jeez, GOTY... pffft.

    I think the world has gone insane.

  • _Price_ #75 1 year ago

    My GotY despite agreeing 100% with Kristan's comments.

    ME2 had style and substance in spades (even if some of those spades were used for mining....) - it just lacked soul.

  • BlinkeredAxis #76 1 year ago

    Thinking about it, one of the keys to ME2's success is that you always know and recognise the characters you are playing with. There's a bond, you see. In WW2 or MW type shooters, everyone looks alike (honourable exception is Captain Price from MW2).

    I had to think hard about RDR, ME2 and Halo:Reach for my favourite, but ME3 is certainly my most
    anticipated release for 2011 (or2012? Noooooo).

  • Hunam #77 1 year ago

    Shame Mass Effect 2 wasn't even as good as Mass Effect.

    I mean, it's still a great game, just hard to give GOTY to a game that didn't live up to expectations.
    Edited by Hunam at 31/12/10 @ 15:49

  • Incarta #78 1 year ago

    I... think it was my GOTY too. I've had trouble picking one this year cause of how good the quality has been.

  • Abscido #79 1 year ago

    Totally agree with Kris on this one! An extremely by-the-numbers plot - I was actually angered by the stereotypical Collectors - and a strangely linear experience to boot. Still a very entertaining game on a core level, but the sense of intimacy, ownership and exploration was completely removed from the sequel.

    It was 'Hollywood gaming' for me and that's the last thing I want in my RPGs.

  • knightmt #80 1 year ago

    I enjoyed the story played through once, but have no interest in playing this anymore which says something.

  • outy #81 1 year ago

    Not just GOTY, but possibly the best game i've ever played. And i'm from the Baldurs Gate era.

  • menage #82 1 year ago

    I got more form the individual stories of all the team members than form most full games, so I don't really care about it being a bit generic in it's main plot.

    It still craps all over the genericness of everything in Dragon Age.

  • coomber #83 1 year ago

    I couldn't pick a GOTY this year as there was no real stand-out game for me. Certainly wouldn't argue against ME2 though.

    And I agree with Dan Whitehead and some of the posters above. I played the game through once. I just can't play through the game making decisions that I wouldn't make in those situations. I kept everyone alive in my playthrough and had to look online to find out if you really could get any of your team-mates killed!

  • paulf #84 1 year ago

    I now tend to judge games by the amount of time they can keep me from playing WoW, ME2 managed 40 odd hours and 2 and a bit playthroughs so I guess its a good choice.

    My only criticism would be in comparison to KOTOR the choice made don't really effect the outcome that much, ME is more grey than black and white, and if you take the 'bad' route you end up being more like han solo than darth vader

  • Olemak #85 1 year ago

    ME 2? Really?

    I just played the demo on PS3 and was seriously underwhelmed. Verbose cutscenes galore, crapsy combat, railroad progression... even the short demo felt repetitive after a few minutes. Really did not make me want to pick up the full game, or the sequel.

  • Widge #86 1 year ago

    Can't comment as I'm still finishing off ME1, expecting to see quite a step up if it is to be the GOTY that people are describing.

  • lockload #87 1 year ago

    Great game loved eery minute of it

  • baphomet_irl #88 1 year ago

    haha I totally agree with Dan Whitehead about not wanting to do things to my main character's canon - while I have played ME1 twice and am playing ME2 again atm, I find it difficult to vary too much from my original decisions as I do really feel an attachment to the Shephard I created. Same in Fallout3 when I played the PC version after already completing the 360 version, I blew up Megaton to get a screenshot of it and see what it was all about, but I didnt savegame and in fact the minute I had finished my screenshots, I actually made that iteration of my Lone Wanderer jump off Tenpenny Tower and commit suicide for his sins!

  • Breach #89 1 year ago

    ME2 was decent, though i agree with comments made by Kristan Reed.

    Also, no-one has mentioned that shite mission were you are in your 'new' vehicle.
    Cant remember what it is called.
    It reminded me of playing a 3D platform game, jumping around ledges trying to collect an object that may as well have been a 'golden star' or some other platformer classic.

    If that was an experimental thing, Bioware, drop it and stick to RPG.
    If i want to jump from ledge to ledge collecting golden stars, i'll play fucking mario.

  • patootik #90 1 year ago

    I know I'm in the minority here, and I did love ME2 a whole lot, but I do really miss a lot of the supposedly "bad" elements from the first game.

    I missed the old inventory system, you know the one where you could actually have a bunch of different weapons. I missed the planet exploration, scouring every planet for minerals, artifacts and lore was a real high point of the first one for me, it gave you a sense of the vastness of space, something ME2 did not. The scripted, corridor like side quests were so boring and repetitious, and don't even get me started on the mineral collection in ME2.

    Probably the greatest gameplay element, for me anyway, was completely missing from ME2, I'm talking about the Mako. I'll never forget finding the highest mountain on a planet and sniping rockets at Geth Armatures from miles away, then "jumping" over their return fire. There just wasnt any time to chill and take stock in ME2 it just rolled on and on until it was over.

    Then theres the elevators, I was never in the "elevators suck" camp, I would just spin the camera around look at Ashley's butt in the latest armor, or watch the lights go past, never bothered me, I thought it was a great way to maintain immersion.

    In ME 1 I never felt like I was playing a game, I felt like a super soldier saving the universe, in ME 2 however I was constantly reminded that it's a game by loading screens, Call of Duty like side quests, and the boring mineral collection.

    I really enjoyed ME2 while I was playing it, the graphics, combat and story were all fantastic, but when it was over I was like "Wait, what? That's it? Wheres the all the stuff that made the first one so awesome?!"

    I've played through ME1 three times, and will probably do so again when I feel like it, I started ME2 again with my renegade save but lost interest after a few missions and moved onto other games.

    This probably sounds like a massive bitch, and I guess it is, but what I'm saying is ME2 on it's own is an incredible game, but when I think of what it could have been had they kept the exploration, the Mako, the inventory and the elevators it makes me a bit sad.

    It doesn't seem to have bothered many if any other people, but I bothered me. I will play, and probably love ME3, but I'm not as hyped for it after finishing 2, at the current rate of change it should be like Gears Of War with upgradeable weapons and conversations. I really really hope I'm wrong.

    Sorry to be such a sour puss, just though I'd share my thoughts.

  • 43n1m4 #91 1 year ago

    @breach

    That was part of the DLC, not the main game. And seem to be made in order to please the critics who missed the Mako. Just tells something about how hard it is to please everyone.

  • Breach #92 1 year ago

    Very well put, Patootik.
    I agree with every one of your criticisms levelled at ME2.
    All that stuff you mention about in ME1 that was dropped has always bugged the hell out of me. The elevators, the mako, the huge planets to discover- i agree with all your words here.

    I sometimes wonder if Bioware paid too much attention to the 'whiners' , and mistakingly thought they were the majority.

    Unfortunately as we all know, people that are not happy shout louder than those that are.

  • coomber #93 1 year ago

    @43n1m4

    No, the mission he is referring to is in the main game. I wasn't a big fan of it either. (And since someone mentioned the lift sequences....was it really that big a deal for people? How is a loading screen any better?)

  • Rodchenko #94 1 year ago

    Not that it's Bioware's fault, but the German copy only had the localized language track and that frankly and predictably sucked (reminder to self: import ME3 from the UK). I also found some of the team-member-fetching missions a bit dull and the fact that it wasn't always transparent why some of the relationship development with certain members stopped entirely at some point and couldn't be resuscitated from there on. Close second behind RDR for me.

  • RESIDENT_nEVILe #95 1 year ago

    ME2 had some really jaw-dropping moments. Unlike Rob Purchese, all those design decisions bothered the shit out of me.

    The end of level score screens, the nerfed inventory/upgrade system, the utter predictability of picking up squad members and loyalty missions and the fucking planet scanning. It was like taking something slightly unique and then stripping it down till it almost lost its uniqueness and that thought persisted throughout the game.

    But - despite my personal feelings about some elements - it still stands head and shoulders above almost anything else that I played this year. When I think of the mission to the supposedly dead Reaper, I reach for the game on my shelf - then I remember the planet scanning and hand cramps and I put it back. Great game though.

  • tiny_Eggy #96 1 year ago

    Mass Effect 1 was better at least if you're an RPG fan. ME2 might be the best action/shooter game of 2010 though. Some of the best combat/gun play of the year no doubt.

  • smithdown #97 1 year ago

    Argh! I really really want to read this,but I'm playing through ME 2 for the first time at the moment and don 't want to spoil it (thanks for the heads up for once EG!). I'm doubly chuffed cos I got the game for 12 quid new and have just downloaded all the DLC at a third of the normal price in the Xbox Live sale! Score!!
    I am loving it so far, looking forward to a couple of days off next week to really put some hours in. :)

  • Mordenkainen #98 1 year ago

    Hmmm... I think ME2 is a great game, definitely, GOTY material? Not so sure. ME2 to me is a great story, told in a great way, but it introduces nothing that hasn't been explored already by older RPG titles. I've been playing CRPGs for many years, and I tell you, the classic titles such as BG2-SoA and Planescape: Torment are much better than this, they have much more content, and in the case of BG2, much more replayability. Making different shepards doesn't have too much appeal for me, since the story is so linear it feels like its exactly the same person, even though combat and interaction mechanics go differently. I liked it on my first playthrough, and I think the game succeeds in making the party relationships important. However, the game lacks in soul and innovation a great deal, and ever since KOTOR we've been seeing the same "Starting sequence ---> Gather companions ---> Big event ---> Time to travel the world/galaxy ---> Ending sequence" storytelling from Bioware. Another trend I've been seeing is the lack of personality from antagonists in their games, the likes of Irenicus have been lost to the bestial archdemon and the robotic reapers.

    To me, this year's GOTY is a repeat, SC2 haha, I'm sort of biased, but I believe SC2 contributes so much more to gaming in general than ME2, it's hard to compare. But still, it's a decent choice, even though I don't agree.

  • irrelevanthuman #99 1 year ago

    A good game no doubt, but I felt really constrained by the environments which somewhat mitigated its epic qualities for me.

  • Vyggo #100 1 year ago

    I just consider one shephard to be my shephard and the other ones just vehicles for another playthrough to see other stuff. It sometimes seem people like to make it difficult for themselves to be 'special' or something.

  • Velios #101 1 year ago

    My fave game of last year, and I have to admit to being a saddo and listen to the sound track quite often too... its got an epic score.

  • Claudiov1.0 #102 1 year ago

    Well i like RDR more, and that is my pick, but Mass Effect 2 is also an amazing game, and it is a widely beloved game...

  • Xardan #103 1 year ago

    Bought and played throught it at the start of the year. At the time i knew nothing would top it for the rest of the year and perhaps the year following...

  • Goodfella #104 1 year ago

    Played it for about 5 hours (PC version) and didn't feel compelled to go any further. I really don't see how this got GOTY but each to their own I suppose. The opening was awesome though.

    GOTY for me is a tough one, between Cataclysm, Darksiders, Heavy Rain, God of War III and Starcraft II.

  • Caimbeul #105 1 year ago

    Echo comment #1 hands down best game.

  • Harmonica #106 1 year ago

    As ridiculous as game of the years are, Mass Effect is so obviously flawed that it doesn't really deserve getting one from anywhere, let alone EG.

    A game for peasants who don't really have much aspiration for games ever progressing beyond what they are currently.

    And certainly if you're an actual sci-fi or 'properly not-crap written fiction' enthusiast then it's a laughable choice.
    Edited by Harmonica at 31/12/10 @ 21:57

  • Harmonica #107 1 year ago

    P.S. EG should have been brave and picked a game like Alan Wake that actually attempted to do smart things in a clever way, particularly after they half-arsed that review.

  • Kostas #108 1 year ago

    Mass effect 2 is the SECOND best game i have played this year. Mario Galaxy 2 takes the cake for this year for me. The only problem with ME2 is that the game was not an RPG. The first game indeed was an RPG game and is classified correctly as one. The second however was an action game with some RPG and adventure qualities. I really hoped that they would not remove the vehicle and planet exploration of the first game and i sure as hell did not expect them to shrink and streamline the maps you play in but hell by the end of it i did not care. Yes it was indeed THAT good. A better game from the first in almost every respect. Just do not play it expecting to get your paws on an RPG.

  • 43n1m4 #109 1 year ago

    @coomber

    Unless I'm mistaken, he is referring to the Firewalker pack missions (that is at least what I could conclude), which is definitely DLC.
    Edited by 43n1m4 at 31/12/10 @ 22:55

  • slivir #110 1 year ago

    Despite its flaws, I enjoyed ME1 better. The character missions in ME2 were brilliant but the main plot arc was very dull.
    Edited by slivir at 01/01/11 @ 01:16

  • StooMonster #111 1 year ago

    I liked using the lift sequences in ME1 to "check out" the modelling of certain characters, I thought I would miss it in ME2 but the loading screens weren't that bad.

    I liked ME2, more polish than the first one, but on the other hand felt more 'action' than 'RPG'. Still my GotY though, epic, and I bought every piece of DLC.

    Looking forward to ME3.

  • man.the.king #112 1 year ago

    I haven't played ME2 yet, but the praise this game has gotten in the past year has me interested enough - I'll be buying the PS3 version when it comes out in January.

  • riz23 #113 1 year ago

    An enjoyable game that I definitely got immersed in, but the linear and oddly constricted take on freedom means this was no GOTY for me. A shining example of what videogames should be, in terms of fantasy, control, balance and a bit of Japanese culture on top was Bayonetta. A true gem of a game that seems to be sadly overlooked..

  • Eisenstein #114 1 year ago

    Very much deserved. The second most game played this (or rather last year now) for me with 160h. Right after WoW:Cataclysm, with too many hours to admit in public. Runner up to both of those as Game of the Year for me: Fable III (despite many flaws), Civ 5 and Red Dead Redemption.

    Best storytelling I've seen in games in a long, long time, even if it is a bit light on the mechanics in some parts. It's gripping and pulls you in like few other games can (for me the list just posted a few sentences before this year ;-))

    FemShep is the only real Shep for me btw, Jennifer Hale is amazing.
    Edited by Eisenstein at 01/01/11 @ 08:59

  • bloodflowers #115 1 year ago

    Good choice, although I thought the lack of the buggy spoiled it - landing on a new planet just to see what it looked like was actually a lot of fun and made the galaxy feel like a bigger place than in the second game.

  • morriss #116 1 year ago

    Agreed.

  • stepleftstepright #117 1 year ago

    Bioware has done no wrong for me past 12 yrs. Keep up the good work. EA, please leave Bioware alone.

  • irrelevanthuman #118 1 year ago

    Bayonetta and Vanquish stood out for me in the pure, balls to the walls, fun as fuck gameplay stakes last year. Followed closely by Reach. Bayonetta though, no contest no.1 game of 2010 (for me, just my opinion, its all subjective etc)

  • arty #119 1 year ago

    Now way GOTY, Shepard is one of the most boring rpg characters ever.
    Edited by arty at 03/01/11 @ 10:03

  • Mekah #120 1 year ago

    Sad that such dumbed down crap can get GOTY award. Just shows how uncritical the critics are. Give them pretty graphics, watered-down mechanics so they don't have to think too much, and throw a little dating game in there and it's a winner.

    Never mind the story was just a big sidequest and didn't forward the narrative set up in the first game at all. Never mind there was no exploration to be had in this so-called "RPG", never mind your companions got neutered down to four measly abilities to upgrade and you can't even outfit them, never mind there is barely any equipment or items to find, never mind all the dumb ideas like planet scanning or not being able to level up during a mission, never mind the stupid way all the choices from ME were imported, etc...

  • MightyPenguin #121 1 year ago

    "We've never crowned an RPG"

    You still haven't, mate. trollface.jpg

    It was okay. GOTY? Eh, sure, why not? Can't say this was the best year ever.

  • Kostas #122 1 year ago

    The TOP 3 games of the year for me are those.

    1. Mario Galaxy 2 (GOTY, absolutely no contest, for me).
    2. Mass Effect 2 (i know i know but the game was actually really good)
    3. Bayonetta (clash of the titans between this and Mass Effect 2 but in the end ME2 did it for me)

    Rest of the games with no particular order were Castlevania, Red Dead Redemption, Vanquish, God of War 3 (yes the third game was indeed good unlike the first two), Amnesia on PC, Bioshock 2, Sin and Punishment 2. These games of 2010 seem to have captured by interest the most.

    Never mind the fact that i spend most of my gaming time playing 2007 - 2009 games (like Demon Souls, Folklore, Batman AA, Disgaea 3 etc).

  • Mavs #123 1 year ago

    I was sure ME2 would be the best game of the year until I played Brotherhood. I hated AC1 and thus shunned AC2 so the awesomeness of AC:B blindsided me. Still, second place is still great so congratulations ME2.

  • des #124 1 year ago

    meh

    I like ME2 a lot,but RDR deserves to be there,but it had no chance after that crappy EG review

  • immateriaux #125 1 year ago

    Find this choice very disappointing, very safe and middle of the road choice, would have liked to have seen a game that pushed at the boundaries being rewarded here.

    Games are getting simplified and dumbed down more and more in general, but Bioware has significantly taken the lead with that approach. This choice validates that even more. Is this the future then - go here, do that, press shoot, watch video for ten minutes? It's a massive turn off for me. Undoubtedly a good game, but feels like giving Dan Brown the Booker prize - I expected to see something more worthy rewarded.

  • TheGuvernor #126 1 year ago

    Played ME2 - really liked, it but definitely not my GOTY.
    While it was beautiful, rich & fully realized it also became very formulaic &predictable in it's play style.
    But I do see why people loved it.
    For me Metro 2033 was a stand out title in terms of game play, originality, art direction & visuals.
    Highly underrated in my opinion.

  • Widge #127 1 year ago

    Jesus christ it is a step up, graphically my PC is no longer behaving like ass and the combat is much tighter.
    Not so pleased with all the keys being in different places now! Skill tree looks minimal but I'm only a short way in and... ammo? I preferred the old overheating guns.

    I'll keep on playing and we'll see, riproaring intro so far though.

  • Psihomodo #128 1 year ago

    Well, all I can say is that Kristan Reed has it on the money. I had the same feeling of disappointment with MS 2, alinear RPG wannabe that is somehow magically pushed into publicity as the most advanced and divine RPG ever... what a load of BS! The first 15 minutes of Baldur's Gate eats MS for breakfast, and that game is years old.

  • tyrant1 #129 1 year ago

    I hated what they did to the game.

    Like on comment, I too believe they ripped out the games soul to appease the shooter fans.

    Red Dead Redemption gets my personal GOTY, and Fallout New Vegas just behind by a whisker.

    Mass Effect 2 has the dubious distinction of being the worst sequel I have ever experiened on any medium whatsoever, and the most disappointing game ever. And from the company that made Baldurs Gate II, I never thought Id say that about one of their games.

    And all of this could have been avoided if they didnt mislead, retcon, backtrack and generally turn their backs on what they promised me.

    I was sold on an RPG shooter HYBRID! in 2007. Not a dumbed down Gears of War clone. If they had been honest from the start, I might have had nice things to say about all of the games.

    Now Im left wondering if ME2 has ruined this "trilogy" of "stand alone" stories for me.

    Still, Ive made my greivances known many times now, as have many, many others, so Bioware knows where to improve in ME3, because they still claim to listen to fans, so if ME3 is going to be as shooter centric as ME2, I know Bioware are a pack of liars, and know never to buy one of their games again.

    Looking forward to seeing how much attention is given to my preferred playstyle in ME3, as opposed to them coveting Gears of War/Call of Duty game sales figures.

  • tyrant1 #130 1 year ago

    Oh and I agree with others here, you havent awarded GOTY to an RPG....

    Its a TPS for christs sake. Next time you play through, do a mental summary of what takes up most of the game time and I GUARANTEE it will be cover based shooting.

    It. Is. A. T. P. S.

    Accept it people.

  • CHAZBIGPOTATO #131 1 year ago

    Just ordered my copy. Was expecting Mario Galaxy 2 here though. All good though.

  • coomber #132 1 year ago

    Mass Effect 2 has the dubious distinction of being the worst sequel I have ever experiened on any medium whatsoever, and the most disappointing game ever.
    Have you played Final Fantasy XIII?